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Sino-Soviet Union
The Sino-Soviet Union No other nation in the world has endured as much punishment. No other bloc has suffered as many casualties, destroyed lands, or plundered resources. But now it’s 1947, and with this new year comes a new dawn. This is the year of the SSU, the Red Tide that will engulf the whole world. History of the SSU Sino-Soviet Operations With enemies on all sides, the SSU engages in many military operations. While their alliances are few, their numbers are many. The development of Sino-Soviet war machines has already left a smoldering mark on the face of the war, and their progressive designs remain on the cutting edge of modern combat technology. The Western Front Note that the Western Front here refers to the SSU point of view; their west. When the war began, this is where the fighting was the bloodiest. Now the situation is much more stable. There had not been a major offensive here for most of 1946. 1947 has changed all that, however, with massive simultaneous attacks from the Axis in both the north and the south. The European Front The main thrust of the Axis offensive in the north during January of 1942 came mostly from Finland. As usual, the solid defensive lines put in place by the Russian Army held, but at great cost. More recently, thanks to the new airborne capacity of the SSU Air Fleet, reinforcements were quickly dispatched to the front lines in spite of extremely bad weather. This assault through the dense forests of the north proved to be a large decoy operation. The real objective was the port of Murmansk, which holds the headquarters of the SSU Northern Fleet. The city had yet to fully recover from the failed German attacks of 1941, but its population was determined to hold Murmansk a second time. The offensive was fierce, but the full mobilization of SSU Naval Forces overwhelmed the aggressors. Soviet Marines, nicknamed “the Black Death” (thanks to their uniforms), once again proved to be formidable opponents. The Caucasian Front In the south, the Axis objectives were as clear as ever: gain a larger foothold on the banks of the Caspian Sea via the total destruction of the Guards Armies holding Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. Meeting this objective would ensure control of the region’s oil fields, which had long been coveted by Axis High Command, OKA (Ober Kommando die Achse). A secondary objective was to cut off any direct communication lines between the SSU and neutral Turkey. Despite the diligent preparations of the SSU Army, the strength and magnitude of the assault almost wiped out the staunch Soviet defenders. A huge part of this region is now under Axis control. Only the city of Zverograd holds, though it is completely surrounded. The Stavka (SSU High Command) is currently mustering its forces to provide relief to the defenders of the besieged city. The Eastern Front Note that the Eastern Front refers the the eastern part of the SSU. Unknown to many outside the SSU, the war in east Asia has also been extremely bloody. Troops from the Japanese Empire have been active here for nearly 15 years. It is the only region of the world where there are no clearly defined front lines. One city can change hands several times in a single month. There is absolutely no quarter given between the opposing armies; neither side takes prisoners. The Manchukuo Front The Japanese invasion of mainland North America (and Australia) had a devastating effect on the SSU. Many Allied troops were removed from the Pacific theater to defend their homeland, and increasing numbers of Japanese troops were pulled out as well; they were all sent to the Manchukuo front. SSU Siberian regiments had to be sent to this region to counter the Axis advance rather than reinforcing other fronts. With the Japanese Empire producing its own walkers, the threat is greater than ever for the SSU in this area. The Axis forces here still need to secure a readily available VK supply. But if they do, the situation may become critical for the SSU. The Southern Front On its southeast borders, the SSU faces assaults from both the Axis and the Allies. These two blocs have managed to avoid each other thus far, concentrating all their efforts against the Red armies stationed here. The Allies and the Axis in the region seem content to postpone dealing with each other until after SSU forces have been defeated. From French Indochina come numerous and continuous attacks on the far southern border. The Allies are eager to push back the SSU so they can re-establish a land line of transport and communication between Indochina and Burma. In the deep Burmese jungles the fighting is now even fiercer than on the islands of the Pacific. Axis assaults in southern China are also frequent. The entire region looks like a battlefield from the first World War - a lunar landscape with hundreds of miles of trenches stretching across a burned land full of immense craters caused by huge rail-mounted naval guns. Both sides have dug massive bunkers and all structures are now underground. The southern front of the SSU remains one of the bloodiest battlefields in the world. The African Front In the vast African theater, war continues much as it did in the early days of the conflict, except for the addition of a new combatant: the SSU. Entire regions change hands on a weekly basis as armies advance or are forced to retreat, but the sizes of the different forces in this theater are small when compared to other fronts. Armies number in the hundreds for vehicles, compared to the thousands in service on the western European front. The armies of the three blocs in Africa are similarly constructed, with a focus on highly mobile vehicles and troop transports. Allied forces and the northern SSU Task Force were inspired by the former Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK). The N-DAK has also come to Africa, but is only targeting the Allies for the time being. As the SSU advances in this theater it is building increasing numbers of airfields to take advantage of its impressive airborne troop transports. The Allies are very aware of this, however, and work to destroy or capture these high priority targets at every opportunity. The North American Front The decision to invade North America was a tough one for the SSU. The bloc knew that it would incur the wrath of the Allies, but Stalin had sworn revenge. Bringing the war to the Allies on their own soil would also relieve the other fronts contested by these two blocs: South America, southeast Asia, and Africa. These bold operations were the result of years of planning and preparation by SMERSH. SSU intelligence knew that the only real resistance would be found on the west coast of the USA, where preparations had been made in anticipation of a Japanese landing in early 1942. The other coasts were poorly defended - no sane Allied general believed that a successful attack could be launched from the Everglades. They were proven wrong. The Alaskan Front There is no other army in the world as accustomed to cold weather as the SSU Army. The only thing that surprised the invaders after they crossed the Bering Strait was the ferocity of the 3rd Marines Division of the Allies. These opponents proved to be more of a challenge than expected. Nevertheless, the Red Army managed to gain a major foothold before the Allies could react. These lands are considered to be yet another territory of the SSU - a territory that should never have been sold by the Tsar’s decadent regime, but which has now returned to its rightful owners. Entrenched on the Alaskan peninsula, the Marines offer a desperate but resolute resistance to the Soviets. Any advance ignoring the forces on the peninsula would leave SSU supply lines vulnerable to endless counterattacks. So far, the Red Army has failed every attempt to overcome these defending Marines. A vigorous Allied defense has also been mounted around several Canadian Arctic Rangers regiments in the north. The war on the Alaskan front is essentially a war of attrition: the SSU is convinced it can supply its troops there indefinitely and the Allies grow stronger each day, receiving everything they need by land instead of by sea. The worst that could happen to the SSU in Alaska would be if the powerful Allied Navy could spare any of its forces from the Pacific. If that were the case, some battle groups could then be sent north. But as it is, the Allies are busy enough with the Japanese Imperial Navy. Florida Front The SSU did not anticipate the difficulties posed by the Florida Everglades. The invasion from Cuba was to arrive on the sunny beaches of Miami. An unexpected convoy of Allied Navy ships, en route to the Panama Canal to reinforce the fleet in the Pacific, happened to pass by the Florida Keys as the offensive was launched. When they saw the fleet of SSU ships, they opened fire. The Soviet Admiral had no choice but to change course, and the flotilla of landing ships headed for the far side of the Keys and the Everglades. A few days later the first Allied Marines from the 2nd Marines Division arrived from nearby Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. They immediately engaged the SSU in battle and the two sides have been locked in combat ever since. For both sides, casualties caused by the Everglades themselves are as numerous as any caused during military operations in the area. SSU soldiers have learned to fear the alligators almost as much as the Marines Weapon Teams; the Marines are well-prepared for the terrain and carry plenty of flamethrowers. On this front there are no major battles, just countless small engagements between individual squads and, rarely, companies. Nevertheless, the fighting is bloody and exhausting for both sides. The Allies’ real advantage here is that their soldiers can head north to return to civilization and rest. The SSU soldiers are sent here to die. They never know when or if supplies will come, as the Allied Navy is now in constant patrol of the surrounding waters. Supplies for SSU troops can only be delivered by submarine or through quick air drops from Cuba. The South American Front No sane Soviet general would have thought that someday he’d have to conduct his troops from the front line in this theater. That was before German engineers captured in Stalingrad revealed the existence of VK mines deep in the Amazon jungle. Since that time, South America has been a priority target for the SSU. On this front the military situation is very complicated. Though there is no real Axis territory, neutral Argentina harbors many German and Japanese agents who are well connected with the local government of General Juan Peron. He has reinforced his army extensively and would likely outmatch any assaulting force on Argentina’s soil. The real prize here for the SSU is western Brazil with its famed (and yet undiscovered) VK mines. Brazil joined the Allies early in the war and has mobilized its whole army in an effort to counter the SSU. The terrain creates difficulties for both sides; jungle warfare is not for the faint of heart. Similarly to the Everglades battles in Florida, limited maneuverability prevents any major engagements or battles on this front. There are a lot of bloody skirmishes, however, where the Allies’ Hot Dogs try to burn the SSU’s KV47 units before they get burned themselves. Walkers and soldiers fight almost exclusively in close combat, a range at which SSU soldiers normally excel. They just need to get used to the jungle first...